Vegan cat diets should give the owners paws for thought
CATS are being put on trendy vegan diets by owners – despite vets warning that the total lack of meat can be fatal for pets.
As the fashion for going vegan has soared in recent years, cat owners have also been shifting their pets on to a plant-based diet, claiming that specialist pet food can provide the essential nutrients that they need.
But scientists say that cats, like their wild ancestors, are so-called obligate carnivores, meaning they need meat to stay healthy.
Justine Shotton, senior vice president at the British Veterinary Association, said: ‘It’s good to see pet owners taking an active interest in the ingredients of their pet’s food but a pet’s welfare must come first. Cats should not be fed a vegetarian or vegan diet.
‘They require nutrients found in meat, such as taurine and preformed vitamin A, which are minimal or even absent in plant ingredients.’
However animal welfare expert Professor Andrew Knight claims cats can get the nutrients they need from fortified vegan pet food – typically dry biscuits such as kibble – and that vets’ advice against a vegan diet for cats is ‘not up to date’.
He said: ‘If a vegan diet is formulated to be nutritionally sound, you would expect to see cats being healthy, or healthier, and that’s exactly what we are seeing.’
Joanna Farr has three cats all on plant-based pet food. Her two tom cats, Rocky and Roman, have been vegan for 18 months, while her youngest cat, Quinny, has been vegan for more than three years.
She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The more people see cats living happy healthy lives on a complete plant-based diet, the less controversial this will become.’